Workplace Lead

We are looking to hire a Workplace Lead to join our Technology team in London.

Working at WGSN

Together, we create tomorrow

A career with WGSN is fast-paced, exciting and full of opportunities to grow and develop. We're a team of consumer and design trend forecasters, content creators, designers, data analysts, advisory consultants and much more, united by a common goal: to create tomorrow.

WGSN's trusted consumer and design forecasts power outstanding product design, enabling our customers to create a better future. Our services cover consumer insights, beauty, consumer tech, fashion, interiors, lifestyle, food and drink forecasting, data analytics and expert advisory. If you are an expert in your field, we want to hear from you.

Role overview

We are looking for a Workplace Lead who will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Workplace Infrastructure for WGSN. This is a technical role, and the successful candidate will come from a technical background and have hands-on experience, working with local stakeholders and the wider global teams. The candidate will be required to define and implement the appropriate solutions based on requirements of the business.

The primary focus will be the day-to-day management of our collaboration tools, ensuring we are providing gold standard services to the global WGSN business.

This will include:

• Identity
• Networking
• End User Devices and Collaboration
• Workplace Services
• Management and delivery of projects

The team

We are growing our WGSN Technology team to expand on our existing pillars of excellence. Our Service Desk is a high performing team which provides World class service to our user base.

Key accountabilities

Identity

• Management and housekeeping of the Azure AD/Okta platforms
• Ensuring day to day running of collaboration tools Google/Slack/M365/8x8
• Understanding feature releases for each platform and communicating these to the business to define a roadmap for these to be implemented or integrated with other business systems.

Windows and Apple Build management

• Experience of managing and updating Windows and Apple environment through the whole lifecycle including Hardware, Operating system and Software standards and Patching/Security Standards
• Configuration and continuous maintenance of InTune/JAMF Pro+Connect/Group Policy
• Experience of Zero Touch Build (desirable) and optimization of joiners/movers/leavers process
• Troubleshooting of our network infrastructure
• Managing outages with local stakeholders
• Troubleshoot localised issues where office networking remains
• Understanding of remote access technologies including VPN, and cloud networking

Workplace Services

• Experience of Supporting Service Offices and Small Satellite Office Locations
• Supporting our User Population ensuring either office or remote dispersed working solutions are robust
• Experience of managing Security tools e.g. Sophos, Mimecast to ensure our server/workstation/email platforms are protected from cyber threats, in tandem with our Cyber Lead.
• Managing our printing environments in our remaining offices
• Ability to support/deliver projects/and perform lifecycle management and roadmaps for all workplace technologies
• Supporting our meeting room technology/conferencing ensuring solutions are fit for purpose
• Experience of integration with Salesforce, Oracle, Workday and other core business platforms
• Ability to work with Security Team and meet Security and operational standards as defined
• Must work with Service Team - and share knowledge, training, education with the wider tech team
• Be able to project manage upgrades and product release (communication, training, planning, Implementation, post go-live support)
• Experience of working in a Joint Venture/Business Process Outsourcing environments where we have to interact and deliver solutions jointly with 3rd parties, in several countries including China, where standard Western solutions may not always work
• Managing vendors ensuring they are fulfilling contractual obligations and relevant SLA’s

This list is not exhaustive and there may be other activities you are required to deliver.

• Demonstrable experience of delivering services across all general technology elements (workplace, networks, cloud)
• Good knowledge of the network system architecture.
• Excellent stakeholder management as you will be working with senior members of our business on IT strategy

Technical skills (and where possible hands-on experience) of:

• End User Device Support (Windows, MacOS)
• Collaboration Tools such as Google, Slack, Office365
• Cisco/Meraki Networking
• Good overview of security tooling
• Knowledge of Cloud (Ali, AWS)
• Experience of working with Chinese ISPs/Telecoms
• Excellent knowledge of the Chinese Technology sector
• Vendor management and commercial experience
• Budget planning (inc Forecasting)
• Experience of contributing to or owning an IT Strategy in the APAC region
• Ability to communicate effectively in both local language and English as well as experience of working for a Global company
• Excellent communication skill- Work with corporate team lead on maintenance the operation.

Ascential’s supporting beliefs

• Focus: we ruthlessly prioritise and always keep things simple
• All in: once we commit we deliver, with a clear focus on outcome
• Trustworthiness, transparency & openness: transparency inspires trust & empowers
• Be creative: we are smart, pro-active innovators
• Facts: we always use data & insight to inform our work
• Empathy: we can be relied upon for fairness and consideration
• No silos: one team, one face, one reputation

What we offer

Our benefits and wellbeing package offers flexible benefits you can tailor to your own personal needs, including:

• 25 days of holiday per year - with an option to buy/ sell up to 5 days
• Pension, Life Assurance and Income Protection
• Flexible benefits platform with options including Private Medical, Dental Insurance, Critical Illness, and the Ascential Shares Scheme – opt in
• Employee assistance programme, season ticket loans and cycle to work scheme
• Volunteering opportunities and charitable giving options
• Great learning and development opportunities.

More about WGSN

WGSN is the global authority on consumer trend forecasting.

We help brands around the world create the right products at the right time for tomorrow’s consumer.

Our culture

An inclusive culture is one of our key priorities. We want our people to truly be themselves and thrive. We love having a diverse team of people who bring new ideas, different strengths and perspectives & reflect the global audience we work with.

Why choose us?

At Ascential, diversity, equity and inclusion is core to us. We’re a company built around our people - and we’re committed to supporting each and every one of them to be the best they can be. We love having a diverse team of people who bring new ideas and different strengths and perspectives to Ascential. Our employee-led networks, Ascential Pride, Black in Business and EmPower: An Ascential Women's Initiative, help us to create a place where communities and allies can connect and share experiences. In addition, our Early Talent programmes help grow and foster diverse new talent for our sectors.

We are committed to supporting the environment and sustainability , including ensuring our pension plan defaults to sustainable options and striving to be net zero by 2030.

Recognising great performance is a key part of our culture. Our Awards schemes recognise and reward the brilliant achievements of our people.

We have a truly flexible working environment with a wide range of flexible, hybrid and agile-working arrangements. Conversations about flexible working have always been - and will continue to be - actively encouraged here.

We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to perform their best when interviewing, so if you require any reasonable adjustments that would make you more comfortable during the process, please let us know so that we can do our best to support you.

If we inspire you, why not join and inspire us? Find out more on what our People say